How to Grow a Chicken Garden

June 20, 2024

July 2, 2024

How to Grow a Chicken Garden

A chicken garden is a fun way to feed your chickens, provide entertainment, and beautify your chicken run. Your chicken garden can be as simple or as complex as you like! Here are some ideas of how to start a chicken garden, which plants to use, and which to avoid.

Preparing the Garden Area

If you are starting your chicken garden from seed, you’ll want the plants to be able to get established before the chickens get to them. You might want to partition off an area of your run for a short period of time to get the garden started. Or you can cover the soil with some chicken wire to prevent the chickens from scratching through the dirt and eating the seeds. Raised boxes in your run work very well for this! You can also plant in containers outside your run and then move them into the chicken run when the plants are big enough.

Some chicken owners like to separate their chicken runs into separate pastures. This way, they can rotate the individual pastures so one can grow and recover while the chickens are eating and foraging in another.

If your run isn’t big enough for that, you can build a garden box.
Use scrap wood to build a square or rectangular box. Fill the box about ¾ of the way full with sticks, compost, and soil. Plant your seeds in the box, and then staple chicken wire across the top of the box. The herbs or vegetables you plant will grow up through the chicken wire, where the chickens can eat them. The wire will keep them from scratching in the dirt or eating all the way down to the soil.

Soil Types

You don’t need to get fancy, organic soil for your chicken garden. But just like in a regular garden, you do need rich, healthy soil to give the plants the best possible chance to grow. If you use raised beds or containers, you can fill the bottom of the container with branches, sticks, or leaves, then add dirt on top. Mix in some grass clippings or compost to add organic material to your dirt.

Ideally, you should avoid using potting soil with time-release fertilizers because the chickens may accidentally eat the granules. Opt for natural compost as a fertilizer instead. If you need to fertilize your plants, use a compost tea rather than a synthetic fertilizer.

Choose Your Plants Wisely

The ideal plants for your chicken garden are plants that your chickens like to eat, that provide shelter or shade, and that are hardy and regrow quickly. Avoid planting rare or expensive plants that your chickens will obliterate. Perennials are a great choice because they’ll grow back on their own without much work from you.

Choosing native plants will make it easier for your chicken garden to get established. Many plants that we consider to be weeds are tasty treats for chickens, such as dandelions, plantain, and comfrey. Plants that reseed – such as wild violets – are also nice choices for chickens and look pretty in your run.

Keep the water needs of your plants in mind. If your chicken run is far away from a water source, you may want to look into more drought-tolerant plants with lighter water needs.

Avoid any plants that are toxic, poisonous, prickly, or hard to grow.

Many herbs can provide calming properties for your hens and boost their immune system. Flowering herbs, such as mint, lavender, and lemon balm, attract pollinators to your garden and insects that your chickens will enjoy chasing and eating!

Plants I Like to Grow for My Chickens

Most of my chickens free-range, but I still incorporate plants throughout my yard that they can enjoy and munch on. Here are some of the plants that I’ve grown for my hens.

Mint. Mint can repel rodents and are high in antioxidants.
Lavender. Lavender can provide soothing, calming properties to your hens.
Rosemary. Rosemary may support respiratory health and acts as a deodorizer for your coop and run.
Clover. White clover makes a nice ground cover for your chicken pen, and it is a tasty meal for chickens, too.
Dandelions. My chickens enjoy munching on all parts of the dandelion, even the white fluffy heads!
Nasturitum. Nasturtiums are pretty, peppery-flavored flowers that offer nutrition to your chickens.
Oregano. Oregano is great for boosting your hen’s immune system.
Chickweed. This weed grows like crazy and provides essential nutrients for your hens.
Squash. Chickens love to open up a squash and eat the seeds. Summer squashes are very prolific!
Buckwheat. Buckwheat is an excellent source of carbohydrates for chickens, and it is entertaining to watch them jump for the kernels.
Sunflowers. Sunflower seeds are a tasty snack, but chickens love eating the fresh shoots, too.
Raspberries. My chickens love the wild raspberries that grow along the borders of my yard. Watching them try to snatch the berries before the birds get them is particularly entertaining.
Mulberries. Your chickens might not be able to reach the berries in a mulberry tree, but they will enjoy eating all of the dropped fruit as it falls.
Carrots. You might not think of carrots for chickens, but they do love eating the tops.
Plantain. Plantain is a weed you can gather in your yard or plant by seed. It offers plenty of nutrition to hungry hens.
Sage. Sage works as an antioxidant, which can help prevent illnesses like salmonella in your chickens.
Thyme. Thyme has natural antibiotic and respiratory benefits.
Comfrey. This weedy herb grows easily, is high in protein, and helps to give a rich color to your egg yolks.
Hosta. Hostas have pretty foliage and are perfectly safe for your chickens to munch.
Chives. Chives are great for digestion and are a source of iron for chickens.
Celery. Celery has a high water content and is full of vitamins and minerals.
Cabbage. Chickens seem to love cabbage, a great source of vitamins and minerals.
Lemon Balm. Lemon Balm is a very prolific perennial in the mint family. It repels rodents and can be calming and nutritious for your chickens.
Lettuce. Lettuce is a tasty treat that is easy to grow, and your chickens will love it!

Toxic Plants to Avoid (not a complete list)

My free-range chickens don’t seem to bother with any of these plants because there are so many other delicious things for them to enjoy. However, to be safe, you’ll want to avoid planting these and other toxic plants in your chicken run. This is a common list of toxic plants, but there are a number of other plants that may be toxic and unsafe for your feathered friends. We always encourage proper research if you ever question if a plant is safe for your chickens. For personalized recommendations or questions on toxic plants, don’t hesitate to reach out or make an inquiry on BetterFlock.com.

Bindweed
Pokeweed
Nightshades such as tomato and potato plants
Hydrangea
Daffodils
Azaleas

Your chicken garden will provide entertainment and nutrition for chickens. It will give them a place to hide, rest, and great nutrition. It doesn’t have to be a neat and tidy garden – unless you want it to be! They’ll enjoy all kinds of different herbs, vegetables, and weeds growing in their pen.